


Realizationship

by joufancyhuh



Series: Fereldan Royalty [4]
Category: Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Comfort, Cousland not the Warden, F/M, Set after meeting Goldana
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2018-07-13
Packaged: 2019-06-09 17:16:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15272388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joufancyhuh/pseuds/joufancyhuh
Summary: Prompt: "I may be an idiot, but I’m your idiot."The talk Alistair has after the Warden chooses to harden him.





	Realizationship

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AlyssAlenko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlyssAlenko/gifts).



> Thanks to [GuileandGall](http://archiveofourown.org/users/guileandgall) for betaing. And for AlyssAlenko for forcing me to write about these two. 
> 
> Idrina is not the Warden, Erenya is.

“Was it stupid of me to see her?” 

Alistair stirred the fire with a stick, his eyes aglow with the light of the coals. He barely spoke a word since meeting his sister, and Idrina let him be, granting him time to process, yet lingering nearby in case he needed more physical comfort. 

And now he posed this question while the others slept around them in their tents, only Shale alert and on watch. Idrina’s head jerked up at the low rumbling of his voice, interrupting her involuntary nod off into sleep while she waited for him to join her in their own tent. She scrubbed at her face with the palms of her hands, an attempt to stimulate her brain for the conversation to follow.  _ How late was it? _ Her muscles tinged from stiffness as she scooted close enough to the fire to rest a hand on his back. 

“Of course not.”

Alistair glanced over his shoulder, lips pinched together in a frown that said he didn’t quite believe her. Her hand moved up to swat him on the back of his head. He fell back on his butt, rubbing where her hand connected. “Hey,” he whined, lower lip stuck out as though that gentle tap hurt. 

“You asked me a question and I gave you an answer. I don’t appreciate you calling me a liar.” 

“I never said-”

“Your face did the talking for you.” 

He sighed, scrubbing a hand down his face. “Erenya said everyone is out for themselves. I think ... I think she might be right.” 

Wise words from the elf. Idrina and the Warden never agreed on anything, but there was a first time for everything, she guessed. Idrina scooted in closer, taking one of Alistair’s dirty hands in hers. She dusted it off against his pants before lacing her fingers through his, leaning her head onto his shoulders. 

“People hear a title, and the thought that follows becomes how it best benefits them. It doesn’t matter that you haven’t quite got that designation or that the crown belongs to someone else.” She squeezed his hand, a small show of support. His naivety, his removal from life at court, she loved that best about him. But ignorance didn’t always last; she wished for his sake that this lesson hadn’t come from his own flesh and blood. Perhaps she might visit Goldanna herself, an unfortunate accident befalling that small hovel in which his sister dwelled.

“Did that -- I mean, do you … does that happen often? Or did it, when you were …” His free hand waved in the air as he struggled to find the word. “Home? Highever?” 

She nodded, shutting her eyes against the sting of light from the fire. Sleep threatened to overtake her once more, and she knew she wouldn’t last much longer. “Always. And with the marriage tournaments, those who would use our name came in droves. But you know me.” A yawn broke out, one she covered with the back of their intertwined hands. “I beat them back with a stick.” 

He shifted beside her, hand rubbing the back of his neck. “Right, it’s late. We should probably head in.”

As he started to pick himself up off the ground, she refused to let go of him, staring into his firelit eyes. “Alistair.” The sound of his name paused his nervous jittering, and he glanced down to where she sat. “If I discovered that I had any family left, I’d go to them. And if that makes you stupid or an idiot, then I guess we both are guilty.” 

That eased some of the tension in his shoulders, a slight grin on his face as he helped her to her feet. “I may be an idiot, but I’m your idiot.” His lips found hers in the near dark, earning a far off groan from Shale. 

“Disgusting. Do the two humans need to squish themselves together like that so openly?” 

Both Idrina and Alistair’s cheeks went red, forgetting that the golem witnessed all ongoings in camp during watch. Alistair moved to stomp out the ashes while Idrina waited nearby to escort him back to their tent. Fenn was already inside, spread out across the bedrolls. 

Idrina shoved the dog out of the way, Fenn growling under his breath as he moved to curl into her side. Alistair joined her, laying his head on the pillow beside hers. She carded her fingers through his hair, whispering, “Both of us.” 

He nudged her nose with his own, arm laying across her chest in his quest to get comfortable enough to sleep. “Mmm, what did you say?” 

“You said …” A yawn broke up her sentence. Her fingers continued to massage at his scalp, the repetition of the movement soothing them to near sleep. “Everyone is out for themselves. But I’m out for both of us, so don’t worry. I know how you get.” 

He chuckled, leaning forward for a soft kiss. “Both of us. I like the sound of that.” 

She smiled against his lips, but the call of slumber was too great to resist. She drifted into its embrace, the warmth of it so much like her lover’s. 

 


End file.
